Our Verdict

Evolv has discontinued the Shaman LV.

At first wear, we did not like the Evolv Shaman LV and found the toes to be too bulky. However, this shoe surprisingly grew on us, and eventually it became our go-to shoe for a sport climbing and bouldering season. Surpassing all of our expectations, we became quite attached to the combination of comfort and performance provided by this aggressive shoe. A close competitor to the Top Pick winning La Sportiva Solution - Women's, it is slightly less downturned and less sensitive, but can handle equally steep and tricky pitches.

Our Analysis and Test Results

This is Evolv's aggressive shoe for steep climbing that was designed by Chris Sharma, but also reportedly had design input from female superstars such as Daila Ojeda, Steph Davis, Emily Harrington, Lisa Rands, and Ashima Shiraishi. This shoe took a bit of getting used to, but once we broke it in and accommodated to the feel, we fell in love with the Shaman LV.

Performance Comparison

The right climbing shoes can help you improve your technique and your footwork. Here the aggressive Evolv Shaman help the author work a tricky, crimpy route.

Comfort

This women's model is a low volume version of the men's Evolv Shaman, and is designed with a different last to better fit people with narrow feet. For an aggressive shoe, the Shaman is pretty comfortable, especially after it breaks-in a bit and molds to the shape of your foot. The "Love Bump", which we discuss more below, actually does comfortably position your toes into the best stance for climbing, but it doesn't make them feel crammed in there.

Similar to the Evolv Elektra, the arch of this shoe is very flat, and on our main tester the shoe does not contact her arch at all. This gives it a slightly less secure feeling, but the heel cup on the Shaman is higher, so it feels more secure than the Elektra.

It took our testers a little while to get used to the unique shape of the toe of this shoe, but once we adjusted to it, we loved the Evolv Shaman for bouldering and steep climbing, and felt that it helped our footwork.

Edging

The Shaman uses two design features that Evolv has named with cutesy names: the "Love Bump" and the "Knuckle Box". When you look at the toe of the shoe, rather than being in a continuous curve like most other downturned shoes, it looks as if there is a slight wave in the toe box. We assume this is the combination of the Love Bump and Knuckle Box, which help position your toes for the ultimate edging power. We do feel that once you are used to this unique shape, it lets your toes maximize their edging power, and you can push off of small features, even on overhanging terrain.

Slipping into the Evolv Shaman LV before a boulder problem. Notice the wave shape at the toe of the shoe. This is what Evolv refers to as the "Love Bump" and the "Knuckle Box", which work together to position your toes in a power position for better edging and pocket pulling.

Crack Climbing

The downturned nature of this shoe makes it less than desirable for foot jamming, though it works well for thin or difficult cracks that also require a lot of smearing and edging. There is ample rubber on the toe which helps these shoes grip inside cracks, and also makes them great for heel hooking.

Though not ideal for crack climbing, these shoes are comfortable for a downturned shoe, and can handle a decent amount of foot-jamming without hurting your feet. Especially for climbs that also require edging and smearing, these shoes work well.

Pockets

Steep climbing is where the Shaman was made to live. It lets you toe into pockets well and pull yourself into the wall, even on very steep terrain. The aggressive downturn keeps your toes pulling in and bearing down, even on technical faces. They are not as aggressive as the similar Solution, but are a step up in aggression from the Miura.

Ease of Use

With three opposing direction Velcro straps, you can tighten these shoes quick and easily. The shoes are easy to get into and fairly easy to adjust the tension of the fit.

A big downside is that synthetic uppers stink. All leather shoes are much more forgiving. We don't normally have smelly feet, but we had to retire these Evolvs before their first resole. The stench factor doesn't have to be a deal breaker, but is something to consider before you buy, and definitely a downside to Evolv's synthetic materials.

Best Applications

This downturned, aggressive shoe does best when it get steep and hard, whether on a rope or a crash pad.

Use these aggressive shoes for steep sort climbing and bouldering and you won't regret it. Less expensive than the La Sportiva Solution, these can be a budget aggressive option.

Value

$150 is quite a lot to spend on a pair of climbing shoes. However, these shoes are well designed and have the performance to back up the price. The Shaman LV is the closest competitor to the Women's Solution, but it costs $25 less, so if you are saving your pennies try the less expensive Shaman LV instead.

Conclusion

After an initial adjustment period, we fell in love with these shoes, and that surprised us. The Shaman LV surpassed our expectations in many ways. We think they are comfortable, adequately aggressive, and keep you on your toes for difficult climbs. However, we had to give our Top Pick award for sport climbing and bouldering to the even more aggressive and more sensitive La Sportiva Solution, which is insanely comfortable for such a downturned shoe. We think you can't go wrong with either model.